I sort of blame "Ghostbusters" for giving everyone the idea that living in a firehouse would be kinda cool. I can't blame people for thinking it. I bet it is cool to live in a firehouse. I put it but behind living in a former synagogue on the coolness scale. There are a few richies in my neighborhood alone who have bought up engine houses as the City closes them down, and now dwell inside in eccentric luxury.
Here's one on W. 30th that's for lease. It was erected (by the New York Board of Fire Underwriters!) in 1894.
It's not a bad specimen as firehouses go, though a big creamily anonymous. I'd only pay $3 mil tops for it.
Do they have the fire pole on which you can slide down on? So cool, but some new yuppie owner will do that and break his legs. He'll sue and win millions with good lawyers. Probably friends of Blomberg.
ReplyDeleteYou could keep your car in the living room and drive to the bathroom.
ReplyDeleteThat firehouse was occupied not by the FDNY, but by the Fire Patrol, which was disbanded in 2006.
ReplyDeletePeter
Here in Pittsburgh it's mostly old churches that people are taking over, either for bars -- one place is a microbrewery with the equipment where the altar was located -- or for housing.
ReplyDeleteYes, people can get a bit precious with these things, but these places usually are visually charming and it's good they are being saved instead of being torn down for some modern crap.
I'm all for eccentric luxury, but what happens when (yes, when, says the eternal optimist) the economy rebound, the FD hires again and needs a place to park the truck and staff? (I vote for re-purposing the crap that's going up nowadays.)
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